Its almost the end of the three weeks so I have been posting items related to themes of the times. Mourning is one of those themes. When my father passed away, one of the things that were helpful during the shiva was that the chevra kadisha had given us a book where people could write comments. This was both comforting because people wrote about things which we had never heard before, and because sometimes during shiva you don’t want to talk to anyone. Having them write in the book or read what people have written means they can still be supportive but the mourner does not feel like they have to entertain the visitor.
I try to bring a notebook when I visit a shiva house, but Temma Gentle’s shiva box is a really lovely way of doing the same thing. Made of pine, birch and organic cotton, the box has two compartments to hold messages and memorabilia. The cover of the box uses the concept of the four elements to deal with a mourners transition between death and life.
The shiva box is best as part of a synagogue resource, to provide to community members along with other resources. For more information about the shiva box visit Temma Gentles website.
Add a Comment